Stay, Stay, Stay
by saoirseronans
Summary: In which he's been loving her for quite some time and she thinks that it's best if they both stay. O'Wanda one-shot to the Taylor Swift song. R&R, K just in case.


_ A/N: hi everyone thank you for clicking on my story! firstly, i would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has read my previous o'wanda one shot and left so many lovely reviews! i have read them all and smile everytime. okay, so now i will freely confess to being a taylor swift fan and loving all her songs. i wanted to write some more o'wanda, and just couldn't resist writing a little story to one of my favourite songs. so, enjoy reading and when you've finished reading i'd love it of you could let me know what you thought in the review box!_

_love, Isabelle x_

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There are times, in my new life, that I wish humans had the same, soothing, emotionless existence as the dolphins, whose planet I had inhabited not so long ago. Or at least the ability to control their bodies better, in times of emotion. I don't know how everyone else I have met manages it. I, certainly, am struggling.

'I hate you!' I scream, and suddenly loosen my grip on the blue plastic mug I was clutching in my left hand. It leaves my palm and sails through the air, creating a perfect arc over Ian O'Shea's head. He ducks, unnecessarily, and the mug smashes into the cave wall behind him, sending shards of broken plastic hurtling across the room, like ice on the frozen plains of the tundras Jamie's been teaching me about.

Instantly, I regret my action.

It is not like Ian and I to fight. Melanie and Jarred, with both of their fiery personalities and tempers as long as the string I use to tie back Pet's thin, dirty blonde hair, are more likely to be seen yelling and storming out than we are. However, their petty fights never last long and before an hour has passed one or other of them is flying across the kitchen to leap at the other and beg their forgiveness. They always do, and the reconciliation that follows always requires a very public display of affection, to which Jamie will roll his eyes across the table at me and I will giggle and Ian will turn Jamie's head away.

But it is never Ian and I who fight. Until now, it would seem.

I stop mid breath, and cover my mouth in horror at what I have done. Ian seems almost as shocked as I am. He straightens up, slowly, his face ashen and hard, shock clouding his face. My hands, up at my mouth, start shaking and I feel tears prick at the sides of my eyes. I am not a violent person, or soul, should I say. I cannot believe what I have done; why did I try to hurt Ian, my Ian? Have I become some horrible monster?

It's not even as if we were fighting over anything that mattered. He had wanted me to stay at home during the next raid, I had wanted to come with him and Jarred. I had gone on others, so why not the next one? Ian had refused to give me an answer and I'd…lost my temper. I had never done that with him before. I didn't even know that I _had_ a temper. Now that I think about it, it was so pointless and I am now so wishing I could go back ten minutes and agree to stay in the caves and none of this would have ever had to happen.

'I'm so…' I begin to say, but falter and have to sink to the ground.

'It's alright,' Ian tells me, but his voice is flat and it makes the tears spring up again.

'I didn't mean to,' I whisper, blinking up at him. 'Ian, I didn't mean…'

'Of course you didn't,' he says, softly but it is a hard softness, not one I associate with the way he normally speaks to me. 'Of course you didn't, Wanda.'

I don't know what to say now. If I was a bear, we wouldn't say anymore at all, but would stalk off and hit out our anger at another bear or passing tree. If I was a flower, there wouldn't have been a conflict at all and so I wouldn't have a problem. But I am not a bear, nor a flower. I am human. And so I have to say something. But what?

My whole body is shaking as Ian speaks again. 'I think it's best,' he says in a low, calm voice. 'If I sleep on the floor tonight. You can sleep in the bed.'

'No,' I protest but he cuts me off.

'It's for the best, Wanda,' he says wearily. 'I promise you.'

Suddenly, I realise how tired I we both are. After a long day, and now this argument, I am exhausted and I can already feel my body shutting down (Or rather Pet's body) one part of it at a time. I sink back down onto the mattress and feel it creak under my weight as Ian gets down onto the ground with a grunt.

'Do you want a blanket?' I whisper, desperately. 'Or a cushion? I can give you one…or two…'

'I'll be alright,' is his stoic reply as he blows out the candle, leaving me in complete darkness.

I lie in the dark, on my back, feeling unusually empty. Normally when we are in bed, Ian rests his arm behind my head, to give me extra support and warmth. Now, lying on my own and not feeling his rhythmic heartbeat next to mine is almost disturbing. The tears come back with a vengeance and I sit up abruptly.

'Ian?' I croak, but there is no answer.

He must have been very, very tired.

My chest starts to heave and I have to cover my mouth again to stop myself from sobbing aloud, trying to swallow down the heavy feeling I have in my throat. The tears squeeze out of my eyes and trickle down my cheeks until I can taste the salt in them. I curl back up into a protective ball over my stomach draw the blankets back over me, even though it is almost sweltering in the caves.

This must be what the humans call grief.

I turn my head into my pillow and burst into silent tears.

The next morning, I wake up early with tear-stained cheeks leaning into a damp pillow and an empty place on the floor of the cave. The place where Ian had been sleeping is now empty. I sit up sharply, my eyes frantically scanning the room for Ian. But he is gone.

My heart starts to quicken and I throw off the blankets and tumble off the mattress and onto the cave floor. Luckily, I had slept in my clothes and so don't have to change. At the moment a few wrinkles in my shirt seems very insignificant. Hurriedly, I shove my feet into my plimsolls and rush out the entrance to the room, pulling the curtain shut behind me.

I take off through the caves, which is just beginning to hum with activity, the light buzz of a beehive at dawn. On my way, I pass Kyle and Maggie, both of whom just let me pass without saying anything. This causes panic, normally they would have nodded, and Kyle might even have muttered a 'hello'. My palms start to sweat. Has Ian told them? Will everyone revert to hating me again? Will I be pushed out of the cave and have to stumble back to my species alone?

No. No, no, no. I can't think like that.

'I have to find Ian,' I mutter under my breath, to the rhythm of my pounding heart. 'I have to put this right.'

My feet start the thud the earth frantically and I am soon sprinting at high speed through the elaborate cave system, my heart thudding so hard I feel as if it is going to burst straight out of my chest and into my open hand. By the time I have reached the fields, I have a stitch in my side and my mouth is so dry; it feels like someone has shoved one of Maggie's scrubbing brushes up my throat. I spot Ian, harvesting some corn in the far corner of the fields. He slowly bends down to pull the scythe through grain and pushes it towards himself, bringing a bundle of grain away into his arms.

'Ian!' I call. He looks up, startled, and I run down the slope and through the fields, down to where he is standing.

'Wanda…' he starts, but I cut him off anxiously.

'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,' I babble, reaching up to grab his hand. 'Ian, please believe me, it was a complete accident, last night… I didn't mean to, I really didn't!'

'Wanda, what are you…'

'Please don't let them throw me out!' I finally blurt out and stare up at him imploringly.

Ian gazes at me blankly, and then his forehead creases in confusion. 'Wanda, no one's going to throw you out!' he says. 'Why would you even think that?'

'Because I almost hurt you last night!' Tears prick at my eyes again and I try to blink them back. 'Please, Ian, forgive me, I didn't mean it.'

'Wanda, stop!' he grabs my hands and puts them down by my sides. 'Of course I forgive you. God, I could forgive you anything. And really, it doesn't matter. I told you that last night.'

'But…but…' I am struggling for words. 'I almost hurt you.'

'People get angry, Wanda,' he says, tucking his fingers into mine. 'It's alright to be angry…in fact…' he winks at me. 'You could even say that it's human.'

It doesn't quite make sense to me. I almost hurt someone. I should be punished. But apparently…this is a human thing to do?

'But…' I stutter. 'I do not understand.'

Ian sighs and pulls me close, his hands wrapping around my waist, his chin ticking the top of my head. 'When people are in love, Wanda, they do crazy and sometimes dangerous things. You didn't really want to hurt me. If you did, I would have a mug shaped hole in my head right now.' I can't help but smile into his shirt. 'But I don't, so what does that tell you? That you were just angry. And people are allowed to be angry, Wanda. Especially when they're in love.'

'I love you,' I insist. 'I really do.'

'And I love you.' He kisses the top of my head. 'Honestly, I've been loving you for quite some time. It's alright. I promise.'

My breath comes out in a momentous sigh of relief. I am not going to be thrown out of the caves. Ian forgives me, Ian still loves me. Everything is alright.

'Besides…' he draws out the last syllable and I pull away to see his face. 'I, um, went to see Melanie this morning and when I told her that I didn't want you to come on the expedition she, um…slapped me around the face.' I have to giggle, the image of Mel stepping up to slap Ian and his surprised face after is just too funny. Ian smiles briefly. 'She said that I was being ridiculous and of course you had to come. Apparently you are the best part of our team.'

I can feel my whole body light up. 'I am?'

'Jarred was crushed.' Ian smiles a satisfied smile to himself, then his face snaps back. 'Well, anyway, the point is that if you don't come then I get my ass whipped by a girl. So, you're coming with us.'

'I am?' The thrill rushes up and down my limbs and i lean against his arm slyly. 'Does that mean that I won the argument?'

Ian rolls his eyes and I shriek as he leaps forward to grab my waist. I struggle away from him but he holds me close, lifting me clear off the ground so that my legs kick wildly into the air. He spins around and I scream with laughter, begging him to stop until he drops me gently back down onto the ground, but I still cling to his arm.

'You cheeky thing,' he whispers into my ear, turning me so I am facing him, instead of tucked under his arm, pinned to his chest. I smile as he leans forward to rub his nose against my own.

'You know, Ian,' I breathe. 'I think that it's best if we both stay.'

'What, in the caves?' he asks. 'After all the fuss you made…'

'No!' I laugh and grab a hold of his shirt. 'I think that it's best if we both stay…together. You and me.'

'Oh!' Ian laughs too and tilts his forehead onto mine. 'You know what, Wanda? Me too.'


End file.
